Alles over Aliki op Paros, Greece

Léfkes - Agios Ioánnis Kaparós - Agios Geórgios - Aneratzá - Kamári - Alykí
Evaluation: This is a very interesting, though rather long hike, leading you through the unknown interior of Páros, with amongst others a marvellous monopáti between Agios Geórgios and Kamári, via Aneratzá. The hike leaves from the beautiful village of Léfkes and it arrives in Alykí, where you can still have a swim. It gets an evaluation of *. Estimated time: The actual walking time to Agios Geórgios takes almost one hour and a half. The following part to Aneratzá is really beautiful and takes about 30 minutes, and then it will cost you another 30 minutes to Kamári. Finally, you will have to walk on the asphalt road for yet another 35 minutes until you reach Alykí. This total actual walking time of 3h05 refers to a total walking time of 5h50, with a possible picnic break at Agios Geórgios. Route description*: [You can take the 10 o’clock bus from Parikiá to Léfkes.] (0h00)* The bus stop in Léfkes is located at a three-forked junction: over there you take the Odós Dimítrou Ion. Chanióti (signpost Léfkes), a paved street running across the centre of the village. You pass underneath the large, neoclassical building of the dimarchío (town hall), thereafter you pass the summer university and the primary school. In this way you arrive at a crossing with on the left a nice little square with the war monument. (0h04) You go up on the right of the supermarket Léfkes (there is also a signpost to Agi Pántes) and you take the white staircase in front of you. You cross a small concrete road and you continue on the older staircase, with on your right-hand side a beautiful pine forest. In this way you get to the concrete road, which you follow to the left. A couple of minutes later you have a nice view on the village of Léfkes, with the large church; beyond you also notice the sea and the island of Náxos. Panoramic view on Léfkes. You walk on the right-hand side of a chapel with a blue roof and you keep going up on the main road – you DO NOT go left to Agia Kyriakí. (0h12) About 150 m past the chapel you find a fairly broad trail off the left, immediately past the final house. On this trail you take a right immediately, and in this way you cut a corner of the road. When you get to the road again you take a left. A few minutes later, the concrete turns into gravel and after another 3-4 minutes you arrive at a junction: you take the small concrete road off the left. This road curves to the right and it follows the trajectory of the old monopáti between walls. Slightly further you keep to the right. Once in a while the ancient pavement appears – it has been a pointless shame to ever cover this trail with concrete! Further down you get to another ancient stretch, then there is gravel and after some 6 minutes you reach the concrete road again. (0h25) The gravel road continues on the opposite side (signpost A. Ioánnis Kaparós), but large parts have been turned into concrete, unfortunately. After 5-6 minutes you walk on gravel again, for a short while, and you keep to the right – you can already spot the blue dome. After 9-10 minutes you keep to the right again, while the massif of the Agi Pántes towers impressively in front of you. The Agi Pántes. You get to a house and after the house there is the almost invisible building of A. Ioánnis Kaparós; a grumpy man tells us that the monastery is closed. (0h38) On the left you notice the beginning of a narrow road, which soon rises above the hidden monastery; after about 5 minutes you do get a nice view on this monastery. Agios Ioánnis Kaparós. At a kind of side road you proceed straight ahead and in this way you arrive at a vague ground between walls situated wide apart. You have to continue straight ahead, up this slope, in the direction of a lonely house. Up there you find a small road, which you follow to the left, in the direction of the higher-located main road. Over here you can take some rest, because you have a marvellous view on Agi Pántes, the entire valley and then the sea – with a small tip of the village of Náousa right in front of you and the island of Náxos on the right. (0h46) You keep following the small road in the direction of the house. You pass underneath the house, on its left-hand side, and you continue upwards. Finally, by describing a large curve to the left, you end up on the main road, where you take a right. (1h02) After 7 minutes the - very - broad road curves to the right, to the Agi Pántes, but you proceed straight ahead on the gravel road (and you DO NOT take the small road off the left). What follows – as often on the island of Páros – is a long stretch of gravel road. Very soon you will see your next target, the little church of Agios Geórgios, with a blue roof, at a crossing of roads. From this point onwards you can also clearly distinguish the island of Antíparos in front of you. After a few large curves to the left you keep going down until you reach the church, after some 26 minutes of gravel road. The little church of Agios Geórgios. (1h28) Next to the church you see a pyramid-shaped monument, to commemorate the place of birth of the war hero Nikólaos Iak. Stellas (1921-1944). There is a stone bench and a picnic table, so this is a nice spot to have some rest or to have lunch. Behind the fence next to the church there is the beginning of a very fine trail, much more authentic than the Byzantine Road – and there are really no other hikers! The beautiful monopáti to Aneratzá. After 11 minutes the trail runs in a gorge and it becomes a little vaguer. Finally, it gets to the left of a small wall and it becomes more obvious again. Some 2-3 minutes later you walk in the bed of a river for a short while, but after a couple of minutes you continue on the right-hand bank. Thereafter, you notice a few houses, still very far away. It is clear that this trail is rarely used; there are not even empty cartridges to be found. All the time, though, the trail is very passable – this is really one of the hiking trails that deserves to be maintained! The path to Aneratzá. Your monopáti becomes very clear again, running between thorny bushes – some long trousers come in very useful. (1h58) After hiking wonderfully for exactly half an hour you reach a small gravel road and you take a left. After less than one minute, however, past a few stables, you go left, onto another trail. This trail descends into the bed of a river and it continues between walls, going up in southern direction. (2h00) Also this unknown path, which is not indicated on the Road-map, is easy to follow and you find more cartridges from hunters as well. The path between Aneratzá and Kamári. After 5-6 minutes you keep to the left; you climb on some rocky ground and higher up the trail becomes broader, almost like a gravel road. You see a fertile plain in front of you with the coastline and Alykí beyond: to the right you also distinguish the tip of the island of Antíparos. (2h07) You walk for about 13 minutes on this gravel road, straight ahead all the time and by describing a large curve to the right - far away you can already notice a crossing. You pass a few drives and after some 12 minutes also a concrete road. You arrive at a large, rocky three-forked junction, where you take a left, between walls. (2h20) You descend now, you reach some concrete and then you get to the houses of Kamári. Just past a beautiful well you arrive at the main road. (2h28) You go right here and then you necessarily have to walk on the asphalt road for another 35 minutes! You first follow a lonely road for a little over 16 minutes; this road is very windy at first and then it runs straight to the sea. In this way you get to the main road, where you take a left. (2h48) Some 4 minutes later you reach a T-junction, and you go right (signpost Alykí). After about 12 minutes you reach the centre of the village; at a side road you continue straight ahead and you thus arrive at the sea. On the right you notice the modest beach and on the left there is a picturesque little harbour with nice outdoor terraces. (3h03) [The bus to Parikiá leaves from the place where the road gets to the beach.

Léfkes - Agios Ioánnis Kaparós - Agios Geórgios - Aneratzá - Kamári - Alykí

Evaluation: This is a very interesting, though rather long hike, leading you through the unknown interior of Páros, with amongst others a marvellous monopáti between Agios Geórgios and Kamári, via Aneratzá. The hike leaves from the beautiful village of Léfkes and it arrives in Alykí, where you can still have a swim. It gets an evaluation of ***.

Estimated time: The actual walking time to Agios Geórgios takes almost one hour and a half. The following part to Aneratzá is really beautiful and takes about 30 minutes, and then it will cost you another 30 minutes to Kamári. Finally, you will have to walk on the asphalt road for yet another 35 minutes until you reach Alykí. This total actual walking time of 3h05 refers to a total walking time of 5h50, with a possible picnic break at Agios Geórgios.

Route description: [You can take the 10 o’clock bus from Parikiá to Léfkes.]

(0h00) The bus stop in Léfkes is located at a three-forked junction: over there you take the Odós Dimítrou Ion. Chanióti (signpost Léfkes), a paved street running across the centre of the village. You pass underneath the large, neoclassical building of the dimarchío (town hall), thereafter you pass the summer university and the primary school. In this way you arrive at a crossing with on the left a nice little square with the war monument.

(0h04) You go up on the right of the supermarket Léfkes (there is also a signpost to Agi Pántes) and you take the white staircase in front of you. You cross a small concrete road and you continue on the older staircase, with on your right-hand side a beautiful pine forest. In this way you get to the concrete road, which you follow to the left. A couple of minutes later you have a nice view on the village of Léfkes, with the large church; beyond you also notice the sea and the island of Náxos.

Panoramic view on Léfkes.

You walk on the right-hand side of a chapel with a blue roof and you keep going up on the main road – you DO NOT go left to Agia Kyriakí.

(0h12) About 150 m past the chapel you find a fairly broad trail off the left, immediately past the final house. On this trail you take a right immediately, and in this way you cut a corner of the road. When you get to the road again you take a left. A few minutes later, the concrete turns into gravel and after another 3-4 minutes you arrive at a junction: you take the small concrete road off the left. This road curves to the right and it follows the trajectory of the old monopáti between walls. Slightly further you keep to the right. Once in a while the ancient pavement appears – it has been a pointless shame to ever cover this trail with concrete! Further down you get to another ancient stretch, then there is gravel and after some 6 minutes you reach the concrete road again.

(0h25) The gravel road continues on the opposite side (signpost A. Ioánnis Kaparós), but large parts have been turned into concrete, unfortunately. After 5-6 minutes you walk on gravel again, for a short while, and you keep to the right – you can already spot the blue dome. After 9-10 minutes you keep to the right again, while the massif of the Agi Pántes towers impressively in front of you.

The Agi Pántes.

You get to a house and after the house there is the almost invisible building of A. Ioánnis Kaparós; a grumpy man tells us that the monastery is closed.

(0h38) On the left you notice the beginning of a narrow road, which soon rises above the hidden monastery; after about 5 minutes you do get a nice view on this monastery.

Agios Ioánnis Kaparós.

At a kind of side road you proceed straight ahead and in this way you arrive at a vague ground between walls situated wide apart. You have to continue straight ahead, up this slope, in the direction of a lonely house. Up there you find a small road, which you follow to the left, in the direction of the higher-located main road. Over here you can take some rest, because you have a marvellous view on Agi Pántes, the entire valley and then the sea – with a small tip of the village of Náousa right in front of you and the island of Náxos on the right.

(0h46) You keep following the small road in the direction of the house. You pass underneath the house, on its left-hand side, and you continue upwards. Finally, by describing a large curve to the left, you end up on the main road, where you take a right.

(1h02) After 7 minutes the - very - broad road curves to the right, to the Agi Pántes, but you proceed straight ahead on the gravel road (and you DO NOT take the small road off the left). What follows – as often on the island of Páros – is a long stretch of gravel road. Very soon you will see your next target, the little church of Agios Geórgios, with a blue roof, at a crossing of roads. From this point onwards you can also clearly distinguish the island of Antíparos in front of you. After a few large curves to the left you keep going down until you reach the church, after some 26 minutes of gravel road.

The little church of Agios Geórgios.

(1h28) Next to the church you see a pyramid-shaped monument, to commemorate the place of birth of the war hero Nikólaos Iak. Stellas (1921-1944). There is a stone bench and a picnic table, so this is a nice spot to have some rest or to have lunch.

Behind the fence next to the church there is the beginning of a very fine trail, much more authentic than the Byzantine Road – and there are really no other hikers!

The beautiful monopáti to Aneratzá.

After 11 minutes the trail runs in a gorge and it becomes a little vaguer. Finally, it gets to the left of a small wall and it becomes more obvious again. Some 2-3 minutes later you walk in the bed of a river for a short while, but after a couple of minutes you continue on the right-hand bank.
Thereafter, you notice a few houses, still very far away. It is clear that this trail is rarely used; there are not even empty cartridges to be found. All the time, though, the trail is very passable – this is really one of the hiking trails that deserves to be maintained!

The path to Aneratzá.

Your monopáti becomes very clear again, running between thorny bushes – some long trousers come in very useful.

(1h58) After hiking wonderfully for exactly half an hour you reach a small gravel road and you take a left. After less than one minute, however, past a few stables, you go left, onto another trail. This trail descends into the bed of a river and it continues between walls, going up in southern direction.

(2h00) Also this unknown path, which is not indicated on the Road-map, is easy to follow and you find more cartridges from hunters as well.

The path between Aneratzá and Kamári.

After 5-6 minutes you keep to the left; you climb on some rocky ground and higher up the trail becomes broader, almost like a gravel road. You see a fertile plain in front of you with the coastline and Alykí beyond: to the right you also distinguish the tip of the island of Antíparos.

(2h07) You walk for about 13 minutes on this gravel road, straight ahead all the time and by describing a large curve to the right - far away you can already notice a crossing. You pass a few drives and after some 12 minutes also a concrete road. You arrive at a large, rocky three-forked junction, where you take a left, between walls.

(2h20) You descend now, you reach some concrete and then you get to the houses of Kamári. Just past a beautiful well you arrive at the main road.

(2h28) You go right here and then you necessarily have to walk on the asphalt road for another 35 minutes! You first follow a lonely road for a little over 16 minutes; this road is very windy at first and then it runs straight to the sea. In this way you get to the main road, where you take a left.

(2h48) Some 4 minutes later you reach a T-junction, and you go right (signpost Alykí). After about 12 minutes you reach the centre of the village; at a side road you continue straight ahead and you thus arrive at the sea. On the right you notice the modest beach and on the left there is a picturesque little harbour with nice outdoor terraces. (3h03)

[The bus to Parikiá leaves from the place where the road gets to the beach.

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